Denali Stud to offer last of Leigh dispersal at Keeneland January

The North American dispersal of the Estate for Sarah Jane Leigh’s bloodstock will be offered by Craig and Holly Bandoroff’s Denali Stud as agent during the first session of the upcoming Keeneland January sale on Jan. 11.

“Gerald Leigh was arguably one of the finest breeders I have known in my lifetime, and his accomplishments were recognized internationally,” said Craig Bandoroff. “His daughter, Sarah Jane, followed in his footsteps and had great passion for the breeding business. The high regard the industry has for the Leigh’s horses was clearly displayed in Newmarket this week, highlighted by Seta (GB) selling for 1.1 million guineas. Denali Stud is honored to be handling the North American portion of the dispersal at Keeneland January.”

Among the six horses being dispersed by Denali Stud is the Grade 1-placed filly, Summer Solo. A winner of three of four starts, the 4-year-old Arch filly is carrying her first foal, by Ghostzapper. Summer Solo hails from the stakes-winning Caerleon mare Summer Solstice, who has produced two other stakes winners, and is from the family of Summer Sonnet, dam of multiple Group 1 winner Act One (GB).

Selling as Hip 259, Summer Solo’s lone defeat came in the form of a third-place performance in her stakes debut in the $1 million Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) in 2014. The consignment will also include her yearling sister out of Summer Solstice. Named Summer Sweet, the chestnut filly is by leading sire More Than Ready, and she sells as Hip 260.

Another top family being offered in the dispersal includes the regally-bred mare Seeking Atlantis, along with three of her young daughters. The graded stakes-producing Seeking the Gold mare is out of the multiple graded stakes winner, Atlantic Ocean. Seeking Atlantis sells as Hip 229 in foal to Ghostzapper.

The young fillies out of Seeking Atlantis being offered include Hip 230, a weanling filly by Arch; Hip 191, a yearling filly by Mineshaft; and Hip 9, a 3-year-old filly by Quality Road named Castellani who recently broke her maiden for trainer Christophe Clement and has earnings of $64,850.

Aside from the in-foal mares Seeking Atlantis and Summer Solo, the other four fillies sell as racing or broodmare prospects. Barn location will be announced soon at the official release of the Keeneland January catalog.

The Leigh family’s Eydon Hall Farm is a renowned breeding operation responsible for breeding such international champions as Breeders’ Cup winner & European Horse of the Year Barathea (Ire), Classic winner & European Champion 3-year-old filly Bosra Sham, Classic winner Gossamer (GB), and Group 1 winners Act One (GB), Bequest (GB), Brocade (GB), and Markofdistinction (GB), among others.

For more information about the North American phase of the Estate for Sarah Jane Leigh dispersal, please contact Craig Bandoroff at 859-987-6212.